The world is an unsafe place. We all know it. With the rise of modern terrorist tactics, it seems like no place is safe -- anything can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. We all feel more secure and comfortable in our own homes than elsewhere, but in reality, home offers little more protection than the office, the mall, or any other public place does. In fact, for those involved in high-security work, home is sometimes the weakest link in the chain of personal protection. But surely the home of a Department-7 employee is safe . . . or is it? Check out the first adventure in Stan!'s continuing Heartless campaign for the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game. This adventure is designed for 9th-level characters.

A videocassette has arrived at the Department-7 offices. The message on it is from a man dressed in combat fatigues, who explains that members of an organization called the Children of Chaos have broken into the home of Professor Grant Petersen, curator of Department-7's property archives, during a rather large dinner party and taken everyone hostage. The man claims that he and his associates will kill one person every 2 hours if Department-7 does not give them $10 million, a certain occult artifact, and a means of escape.

It's clear from the tape that the intruders are organized, well equipped, and highly trained. They patrol the Petersens' penthouse regularly but keep themselves and the hostages well away from the exterior walls.

Department-7 refuses to knuckle under to terrorists and their demands. But before any plans can be made for a rescue attempt, television and radio broadcasts are interrupted with news of the situation. Someone has alerted the media!

Can the heroes sneak into the penthouse and rescue the hostages before anyone is killed? Find out in The Petersen Counterstrike, the first installment of the new Heartless campaign by designer Stan!

About the Author

Stan! has been publishing fiction, cartoons, and games professionally since 1982. He has served as a graphic designer and line editor for West End Games, an editor and designer for TSR, Inc., and an author, senior designer, and creative director for Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Stan! is currently the Creative Vice President for The Game Mechanics, Inc. His recent projects include the Urban Arcana Campaign Setting for Wizards of the Coast and the Modern Player's Companion for Green Ronin. In what he laughingly refers to as his spare time, Stan! writes and illustrates the Bolt & Quiver and Table Talk comic strips.

Stan! lives in Renton, WA, where he eats nothing but meat and cheese. Visit him online.